Chemical cleaning machine



1966 H. FUHRING CHEMICAL CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1965 I INVENTOR. Hannah Fa n-EH2 western, mass &* mmfern,

Aug 9, 1966 H. FUHRING 3,24,3Q3

CHEMICAL CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 50, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Hahn-So fa a g. BY

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a 9, 1966 H. FUHRING 32%4 CHEMICAL CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheec 5 K ll" Q? 1 N VEN TOR. Heinrich FUhring 3 3 6 fiasfem United States Patent 3,264,848 CHEMHIAL CLEANING MACHINE Heinrich Fiihring, Augsburg, Germany, assiguor to Biiwe Bohler & Weber KG Maschinenfahrik, Augsburg, Germany Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 276,718 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 68-210) The invention relates to dry-cleaning apparatus particularly for the cleaning of infected textile articles, in which the cleaning drum is mounted at one end. The main field of application of such cleaning apparatus includes essentially the cleaning of hospital sheets, linen and the like. In this field it is of particular importance for the cleaned articles, and the soiled articles to be cleaned, to be kept strictly apart.

The use of cleaning drums mounted at both ends would provide the easiest solution to this problem. The shell of such drums would have to be provided with openings, and a partition extending along the longitudinal axis of the cleaning apparatus, and separating the inlet side of the machine from the discharge side, would have to be provided above the cleaning apparatus. The use of cleaning apparatus with cleaning drums mounted at both ends has long ago been superseded, and for this reason one would not wish to revert to process techniques which are now considered to be outdated.

The invention is based on front-loading dry-cleaning apparatus used for disinfecting purposes which are provided with two separate means of access to the cleaning drum, and which is provided with a front or additional structure having two charging doors at the position at which the single charging door of cleaning apparatus having a cleaning drum mounted at one end in known manner, is usually provided.

' The essential feature of the invention is that the minimum or no alteration of the cleaning apparatus as evolved for normal cleaning purposes, should be required. Particularly in hospitals, the costs of cleaning apparatus have to be kept at a minimum for understandable reasons, while infection of the cleaned laundry must at the same time be carefully avoided.

In one preferred construction according to the invention, this particular problem is advantageously solved in that an additional structure having two means of access constructed as charging doors, is provided at the position at which the single charging door is usually provided. The front or additional structure is advantageously of triangular cross-section, and a partition, for example, a brick Wall, by which the two means of access are separated, may be connected to the triangle in the region of one of the free corners.

In this way, cleaning apparatus of known construction may readily be used for this particular purpose, and the additional structure, which can be produced at low cost, may be connected to the cleaning apparatus by simple assembly methods.

Furthermore, it has been found to be advantageous for one of the means of access to be operated while the other means of access is locked during the operating period of the other. Accidental opening of both means of access causing reinfection of clean laundry upon its withdrawal from the machine is thus avoided. It will be understood that the construction of the interior of the additional structure may advantageously be such that, for example, the path along which the drum is charged is separate from the path of withdrawal of the cleaned articles. The disinfectant, and any other substance used for cleaning and/ or disinfection, may, however, also be passed through the additional structure which is thus cleaned and disinfected after each batch charged for clean- Patented August 9, 1966 In one further modification according to the invention, the means of access for infected articles is formed by a shaft, preferably made of an impermeable canvas, sailcloth, or the like. The opening adjacent the cleaning apparatus may be closed, and may be connected to the apparatus by rapid-locking devices. In this case, the collecting space for infected articles of laundry would be provided above the cleaning apparatus, while the space around the cleaning apparatus is the so-called clean space. In this construction, introduction and withdrawal of the textile articles proceed through a single opening, but it will be understood that various openings may be provided for this purpose. Where a single opening is used, the shaft opening adjacent the cleaning apparatus should be adapted to be closed. This may, for example, be etfected by a piece of string, so that the lower part of the shaft is tied up like a sack. The opening adjacent the cleaning apparatus may advantageously also be adapted to be lifted by a pulling device, for example, a rope. Furthermore, it is advisable for the drum of the cleaning apparatus to rotate slowly While the textile articles falling freely through the shaft are introduced into the cleaning drum.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which show various constructions of the cleaning apparatus, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan of a cleaning apparatus provided with an additional or front structure;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a cleaning apparatus with charging shaft;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a plurality of cleaning apparatus of the kind corresponding to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side-elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an end view thereof.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one construction of an individual cleaning apparatus 1. The rear wall of the front-loading cleaning drum 2 carries a mounting flange 3; 4 is the bearing of the cleaning apparatus.

It is a condition that the cleaned textile articles with absolute certainty be protected against infection by unclean textile articles. Space 5 is assumed to be the socalled infected space in which the uncleaned, that is to say, the infected articles are stored. Space 6 is the so-cal-led clean space which is sealed-off from the infected space 5 by a partition '7. Furthermore, it is assumed that the top of the individual cleaning apparatus and the partition 7 are sealed-off from the ceiling of the workroom.

In the construction illustrated in FIGS. *1, 4 and 5, the cleaning apparatus '1 is provided with an additional or front structure 8 which as shown is of substantially triangular cross-sect-ion. The infected articles of laundry are introduced into the drum 2 through a charging door 9 and an opening 1 1 provided in the cleaning apparatus 11. It is advisable for the internal spaces in the additional structure 8 to be included in the cycle of detergent and/ or disinfectant, so that re-infect-ion of cleaned textile articles in the additional structure 8 is safely avoided. The reference numeral 11 may denote the original charging door of the cleaning apparatus 1, which door is removed from its bearing when the construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 is used, so that the door frame at the position 11 is permanently open. The cleaned laundry is withdrawn through means of access 10. It is of importance that only one of the two means of access 9, 10 can be opened. The other means of access should always be locked in order to prevent both means of access 9, 10 from being accidently open at the same time. Such lock-ing means have already frequently been proposed,

and need not be described in detail; on such interlock is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,100,978.

The cleaning apparatus of the construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 may be preferred since it is thus possible to use cleaning apparatus of any known construction, to the front end of which the inexpensive additional structure 8 may be connected. The interior of the cleaning apparatus 1 requires no alternation.

FIGURE 3 shows a plurality of apparatus sharing a single separate contaminated space 5 and a clean space 6, in which the partitions 7 are provided with an impermable connection with the ceiling. This construction considerably facilitates the charging and discharging operations, and, moreover, it is space-saving.

The motor for driving the drum is adapted for a slow speed for washing and a high speed for centrifuging.

In the construction illustrated in FIGURE 2, the infected laundry is introduced into the drum 2 through a shaft 17. The shaft 17 may preferably be made of an impermeable canvas, sailcloth, foil, or other material which is flexible. The contaminated space 5 is above the cleaning apparatus 1. It will be understood that the shaft '17 has to be sealed-off from the ceiling 20 by a part 119 in order to prevent bacteria from entering into the space 6 of the cleaning apparatus. At the end 18 adjacent the cleaning apparatus 1 the shaft 17 may be closed by any means, for example, by plates which may be swivelled in and out, or simply by tieing up the shaft 17. Where a closure of this kind is provided, the drum may be charged through a single charging door 111, and the cleaned articles may be withdrawn from the drum 2. Furthermore, in order to facilitate operation, means are provided so that upon being unfianged from the cleaning apparatus 1, the shaft 17 is automatically swung upwards by hoisting tackle 2 2. For this purpose, the tackle 22 mounted in a holder 21 engages the shaft 17. The tackle '22 is passed over pulleys 23 and loaded with a weight 24 which can move in a guide 25. The flange '18 of the shaft 17 may thus be quickly secured to the frame of the charging door 11 by simple means. It will be understood that two means of access may be provided, so that the drum 2 may be filled with articles to be cleaned independently of the withdrawal of the cleaned articles.

It will be noted from the the examples hereinbefore described that the principle of separate means of access may be varied in many ways. A particularly large number of modifications of the construction may be provided if alternation of the actual cleaning apparatus can be carried out.

The invention is thus not limited to the illustrated constructions, and includes modifications readily conceivable by persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

11. A dry-cleaning installation for the treatment of contaminated articles without contamination of cleaned articles, said installation comprising, in combination:

a front-end-loading dry-cleaning machine having a rotary drum for receiving articles to be cleaned, bearing means rotatably supporting said drum at one axial end thereof, said drum being open at the other end, and housing means enclosing said drum and having a single access opening for the insertion and removal of articles into and from said drum at said other end; a contaminated chamber and a noncontaminated chamber separated from one another by a substantially impermeable wall; and means for alternately connecting one of said chambers with said opening while closing ofl the other chamber and connecting said other chamber with said opening while closing off said one of said chambers to permit alternate insertion of contaminated articles into said drum from said contaminated chamber and removal of cleaned articles from said drum into said noncontaminated chamber. 2. A dry-cleaning installation for the treatment of contaminated articles without contamination of cleaned articles, said installation comprising, in combination:

a front-end-loading dry-cleaning machine having a rotary drum for receiving articles to be cleaned bearing means rotatably supporting said drum at one axial end thereof, said drum being open at the other end, and housing means enclosing said drum and having a single access opening for the insertion and removal of articles into and from said drum at said other end;

means forwardly of said opening and defining an antechamber communicating with said opening and provided with a pair of doors each operable to permit access to said opening through said antechamber; and

impermeable partition means including the last-mentioned means for defining a contaminated chamber and a non-contaminated chamber on opposite sides of said partition means with one of said doors being disposed in each of said chambers whereby said doors are alternately operable for connecting said chambers with said opening through said antechamber While the other chamber is closed off to permit alternate insertion of contaminated articles into said drum from said contaminated chamber through the respective door and removal of cleaned articles from said drum into said noncontaminated chamber through the respective door.

3.' An installation as defined in claim 2 wherein said antechamber is of generally triangular configuration with a base lying substantially at said opening and a pair of convergent walls provided with said doors.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DRY-CLEANING INSTALLATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF CONTAMINATED ARTICLES WITHOUT CONTAMINATION OF CLEANED ARTICLES, SAID INSTALLATION COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A FRONT-END-LOADING DRY-CLEANING MACHINE HAVING A ROTARY DRUM FOR RECEIVING ARTICLES TO BE CLEANED, BEARING MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID DRUM AT ONE AXIAL END THEREOF, SAID DRUM BEING OPEN AT THE OTHER END, AND HOUSING MEANS ENCLOSING SAID DRUM AND HAVING A SINGLE ACCESS OPENING FOR THE INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF ARTICLES INTO AND FROM SAID DRUM AT SAID OTHER END; A CONTAMINATED CHAMBER AND A NONCONTAMINATED CHAMBER SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERMEABLE WALL; AND MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY CONNECTING ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS WITH SAID OPENING WHILE CLOSING OFF THE OTHER CHAMBER AND CONNECTING SAID OTHER CHAMBER WITH SAID OPENING WHILE CLOSING OFF SAID ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS TO PERMIT ALTERNATE INSERTION OF CONTAMINATED ARTICLES INTO SAID DRUM FROM SAID CONTAMINATED CHAMBER AND REMOVAL OF CLEANED ARTICLES FROM SAID DRUM INTO SAID NONCONTAMINATED CHAMBER. 